Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho has projected that exports will continue to see growth for a fourth consecutive month in February.
 
During a meeting with economy-related ministers in Seoul on Thursday, Yoo said that exports continue to witness recovery into this month.
 
On economic conditions, Yoo said that domestic demand is seeing a slump due to a rise in global oil prices and interest rates as well as contracted sentiment and that such slump is limiting economic recovery. He noted that these conditions come amid growing uncertainty both at home and abroad, including the new U.S. administration’s protectionism, political risks in Europe and North Korea’s missile provocation.
 
The minister also expressed concerns about the manufacturing sector’s sluggish hiring amid a slowdown in growth in the number of people with jobs and the fast rise in the number of self-employed people.
 
Yoo vowed to boost policies on revitalizing domestic demand and improving the conditions of people’s livelihood.
 
He said the government will unveil sometime this month measures on breathing new life into domestic demand that center on restoring consumer sentiment, expanding household income and lessening living cost-related burdens.